Meaning
A software engineer responsible for leading a development team, guiding technical decisions, and ensuring architectural quality.
Three examples from work
Architecture decision
DevShould we switch our message queue to Kafka?
Tech LeadLet's review the throughput requirements and operational maintenance overhead first.
Code review escalation
DevWe have an architectural disagreement on the database indexing strategy.
Tech LeadTag me on the pull request; I'll make the final decision.
Capacity planning
PMCan we pull two extra feature tickets into this sprint?
Tech LeadNo, our engineering capacity is already fully committed.
Distinguish between a Tech Lead (focuses on technical architecture and code quality) and an Engineering Manager (focuses on people management and career growth).